The French senate decided to reject the CETA, which is a symbol of free exchange. It looks that it is necessary to discuss about the virtues, but also the limits, of this systems which looks to be a real trap for many French workers.
First it is necessary to build a society with standards of protection. However the free exchange between France and Canada disrespect environmental standards. For example it is not allowing to build really good conditions for pesticides. There are nuances, as vineyards can find advantages with this agreement. However other fields of agriculture can be threatened.
It is necessary to see that agriculture is a necessary field. The European PAC succeeded to protect a lot agriculture. However it looks that those treaties of free exchange are supported by the European parliament, often supported by lobbies, but not really in the interest of many agricultures.
This approach is revealing of the society we live in, which is in the dogm of free exchange, and is not enough looking for better quality jobs. It is often in the interest of huge companies, while Adam Smith often said it was necessary to beware of big companies, which are distorting fair competition, and are going against the interests of the common good. It is revealing of the time we live in, with the dominance of a neo liberalism which often works in the interest of oligopoles.
It looks necessary to rethink the way agriculture is managed. Buiding sufficient protection but also ensuring a better future for this field. It is not normal Chinese companies can buy very easily lands to provide their future outcomes. To this extend it looks detrimental to build a better compromise between a strategic state and the market. The 2030 investment plan had a good approach, in my opinion, about this issues. It looks also necessary to build a plan for agriculture, and not free exchange agreements without any long term thinking.
These reason can explain why resisting to such agreements can be a good thing. It is necessary to think again about building better protections and to find better compromises. In a globalization where campaigns often struggle compared to the cities, rebuilding models compliant with the environment and sustainable development can be necessary. The Green Pact has been evoked for the European elections ; however many parties advocated the CETA agreement, which is not coherent with this pact. This hypocrisy has to be denounced. That is the reason why rebuilding more protections, compliant with long term plans would look to be a better approach.
The observer 